Mail delivery signal for mailboxes



Oct. 7, 1952 J." J. JOYCE 2,613,031

MAIL DELIVERY SIGNAL FOR MAILBOXES Filed April'4, 1951 inventor JAMES J. JOYCE- attorney Patented Oct. 7, 1952 UNITED STATES OFFICE to 2,613,031? i More Dem-veer SIGNAL FUR MmnoxEs James J m-Joyce.Pnrtsmq t rbkfli Amflteaflun Anti, 1951;$ erfal No;:2-19,209

This invention relates to mail delivery signals for mailboxes'suoh as rural mailboxes.

An important object of the inventionis to provide such a signal which maybe readilyattached to the bottom walls of conventional rural mail- Another important object is to provide a mail delivery signal which does not require direct manipulation by the carrier or mailman since it automatically operates to signal uponopening ofthe closure of the hear in order to deposit mail therein.

Other objects andadvantages-oi-"the invention will. be apparent during the course of the following detailed description of the invention,

taken in connection with" the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this disclosure; and in which drawingz Fig. 1 is a perspective vi'ew otthe new signal the lines of Fig. 3 but with theclcsureagain in a closeciposition and the signal ('insection) in i a signalling position.

In the drawing, wherein for thepurpose of illustration is shown a preferred, embodimentyot the-invention and wherein similarreference,charaoters designate corresponding parts throughout the several'views, the'letter A designates the new signal, the letter B, a mailbox mounteti upon a conventional sub-bottom G.

The newmaildelivery signal A comprises a.

signal-elementipivot means; 6 and latch means may take various shapes}; on; of: any suitable material not'readilrefiected-by the scum; (01'. iv

elements. lit/comprises a flat plate which may haveacurved tree-end edge to and a rolled end portionoppositethe edge-Ht to provide a sleeve l lsior apart-of the pivot means 6, although the sleeve has an additional tuncti'on as will be subsequently expl amed. It may be of metal, such as tin, galvanizedhiron, steel, aluminum, and

hardened plastic, and! coated; if desired, with paint or the like, For convenience, one face I? o! thc'plate be-termed the inner-face; since it faces the sub-bottom G when the signal ele-- ment '5' is raised, 'andithe opposite face 13 may be termed the outer face. The sleeve II is rolled over the inner' face -I 2 The -pivot means 6 preferably comprises a pivot pi-n on shaft r extend-mg through the sleeve H As maybe appreciated} thesignalelement- 5 A and projectineoutwardlythereof; Spacers it maybe mountecimnon the protruding end portions-H of'thepin or shaft #5 and apa-i-rof L- shaped brackets W are provided, having openings 119- to receive the outer extremities: of' the endyportions H, andopenings 20 for screws or nails- 2! to secure the bracketsto the under side of the sub-bottom C, in positions so that the pin or shaft 1 5' cannot 'drop, from the openings fl inthe brackets" IBj. "The brackets l8 are set so that the pivot pin or shaft: 15 and the sleeve II are inwardly of the vertical planes of the edges Ofthfi SUD-bOttOInfC' so that rain will not be apt to collect in the pivot means and freeze. Thepivot means'may beof steeibrass, aluminum ortheilike. l

" he atch: m ansli's of novel construction and includ s, a reciprocating member 25 which is preferably a narrow elongated strip of slightl sprinjgy'br flexible, material. aswheavy tin, light steel; or 'ijron,j andjhas, one of its end portions ro eo in'toa, cunved abutment 2 6 which also functions as a fingerholti and extends to form with themainpor'tion 210i the member 25 substantially a letter The other end. portion, of theomember 2,5 isiormed, into a hook 28 extendins education-opposite to that in. which the abutment, 26 extends. The member 25 is slidably retained by the plateot thesignal element 5 by suitable spaced-apartbearings 29 for the main portion 21. thereoj, extending from the race, [2 Bindsecured tothe plate in any approved wan In, the example. shown, their end portions xtend, through. suitabl p i s. in h plate are turned over unonthe adjacent portlons of the face [3 so that the g. eater portion of the member 25 slides, over the face l2 at subplate. it*wilY-benoted-inFig. 1, a and "4 that portion 3! for the legs 32.

the resilient member is sprung against the sleeve I I so that the member 25 is slightly bowed. Thus the sleeve II functions as a means to frictionally retain the member 25 in a fixed position, against accidental movement with respect.

the staple is properly driven into the sub-bot tom C in a position as in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. When-- so hooked, the abutment 26 should be positioned as in Fig. 2.

The mailbox B is of conventionalconstruction 1 including a metallic housing 35 defining; ama il receiving compartment 36 closed by'a swinging closure 37 having a substantially fiat lower edge 38, with the closure hinged, as to the sub-bottom C to swing by gravity to the position shownin Fig. 3. However it may be retained. in a closed position as by conventional latch means'39.

The sub-bottom C is also conventional and is usually a suitable length of lumber upon which the, housing 35 is mounted and the sub-bottom C, in turn, mounted upon a post (not shown) or the like. The new signal A is. carried by this sub-bottom C which, being generally of wood,

renders installation of the new signal very easy since all that .is required is to screwpr nail the brackets l8 and nail the keeper (staple) thereto. a After the new signal A is installed, the closure El is raised to the position shown in Fig. 2 and latched by the latch means 39, whereupon the operator pivots the signal A upwardly to substantially parallel the sub-bottom C and, hooks a finger about theabutment and fingerholdZG drawing it and the rest of the member 25 forwardly until the hook 28 engages the keeper 3i) as in Fig. 1. It will be. noted that, then, the abutment and fingerhold is within the vertical plane of the closure 31. When the mailmanreleases the closure 31 in order to deposit mailmatter in the compartment 36, he will, of course, 'pivot the closure downwardly and the edge 38 thereof will swing in an arc, engage the abutment and move the entire mem ber 25 to the left as in Fig. 1, releasingthe hook 23 from the keeper Slla'nd the signal A will pivot, due to gravity, to the position in Fig. 3. The mailman will then close the mailbox by pivoting the closure 37 to its latched position, but the signal A will remain vertical as in Fig. 3 and afford a visible signal that mail matter has been deposited in the mailbox. It will be noted that,jin these operations, the mailman has not needed to manipulate the signal at all, since it pivoted; to a signalling position automatically.

The closure 31 may be pivoted, downwardly in order to remove the mail matter without inter ference from the signal-A and, after the mail matter has been removed and the closureil'pivoted to a'latched position, the first step of latch ing'the signal 'A is repeated. As may be seen from Fig. 3 or 4 for xampla-the member '35 will not slide longitudinally of the signal element plate because it is sprung against therolled sleeve ll of the latter and it' cannot separate from the bearings 29 becauselthe curved abutment or fin erhold 26 form'sa hook with respect to thissleeve I l; Various changes may be made to "the form of the invention herein shown and described with out departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mail delivery signal for a mailbox including a signal element provided with a body having an edge provided with a sleeve, an elongated reciprocable member of springy material, slidable over a portion of said element including a portion of the outer face of said sleeve and sprung .against'said sleeve, said member having an end portion extending beyond said element adjacent said sleeve, with said end portion provided with afingerhold, the other end portion of said member having a -hook, a keeper for said hook, disposed in the path of travel of said hook and carried by said mailbox, a bearing for said member and carriedby said element, and means for pivotally mounting said signal upon said mailbox including a shaft extending through said sleeve.

2. A mail delivery signal for mailboxes according to claim 1, characterized in that said fingerhold is a curved extension of said member, and said hook extends in a direction opposite to the direction of extension of said fingerhold.

3. A mail delivery signal for mailboxes according to claim 1, characterizedin that said fingerholdis acurved extension of said member, and said sleeve is disposed in the path of travel of said fingerhold toward said sleeve.

, I 4. In combination with a mailbox having a subbottom and a downwardly-swinging closure having a lower ed e projecting forwardly of said subbottom and in substantially the same plane as the bottom face of said sub-bottom when said closure is raised to close said mailbox, a signal for said mailbox, including a signal element provided with a body having an edge provided with a sleeve, the exterior diameter of said sleeve being greater than the thickness of said body, an elongated reciprocable member of springy material, slidable over a portion of said element, includ ing a portion of the outer face of said sleeve and sprung against said sleeve, said member having one end portion extending beyond said element adjacent said sleeve and provided with a combined abutment and fingerhold, said member having a hook at the other end thereof, means reciprocably mounting said member upon said element, a keeper for said hook and carried by said sub-bottom, and means pivotally mounting said element upon said sub-bottom so that when saidhook engages said keeper, said combined abutmentand fingerhold is disposed in the path offtravel of said lower edge when said closure is swung downwardly.

5. In-combination with a mailbox having a. sub-bottom and a downwardlyeswinging closure having a lower edge projecting forwardly of said sub-bottom and in substantially the same plane as the bottom face of said sub-bottom when said closure israised to close said mailbox, a signal for said mailbox, including a signal element provided with a body having an edge provided with a sleeve,- the exterior diameter of said sleeve being greater than the thickness of said body, an elongated reciprocable member of springy material, slidable over a portion of said element, including a portion of the outer face of said sleeve and sprung against said sleeve, said member having one end portion extending beyond said element adjacent said sleeve and provided with a combined-abutment and fingerhold, said member having a hook at the other end thereof, means reciprocably mountmg said member upon said element, a keeper forsaidhook and carried by said sub-bottomsaid hookbeing disposed with reference to said keeper so that the hook engages said keeper upon travel of said combined abutment and fingerhold in a direction away from said sleeve, and means pivotally mountingsaid element upon said sub-bottom so that when said hook engages said keeper, said combined abutment and fingerhold is disposed in the path of travel of said lower edge when said closure is swung downwardly.

6. In combination with a mailbox having a subbottom and a downwardly-swinging closure having a lower edge projecting forwardly of said subbottom and in substantially the same plane as the bottom face of said sub-bottom when said closure is raised to close said mailbox, a signal for said mailbox, including a signal element provided with a body having an edge provided with a sleeve, the exterior diameter of said sleeve being greater than the thickness of said body, an elongated reciprocable member of springy material, slidable over a portion of said element, including a portion of the outer face of said sleeve and sprung against said sleeve, said member having one end portion extending beyond said element adjacent said sleeve and provided with a com- 6 bined abutment and fingerhold extending in a. direction substantially normal to the major portion of said member, said member having a hook at the other end thereof, mean reciprocably mounting said member upon said element, a keep- 1 er for said hook and carried by said sub-bottom, said book being disposed with reference to said keeper so that the hook engages said keeper upon travel of said combined abutment and fingerhold away from said sleeve, and means pivotally mounting said element upon said sub-bottom so that when said hook engages said keeper, said combined abutment and fingerhold is disposed in the path of travel of said lower edge when said closure is swung downwardly.

JAMES J. JOYCE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Bowers Jan. 13, 1 933 Number 

